Shipping line reliability hits 2026 high at 62.4 percent

The U-Freight Group’s international container shipping services for both LCL and FCL cargoes rely on schedule reliability, so we were pleased to read that global liner schedule reliability rose to 62.4 per cent in April, the highest level so far in 2026, according to Copenhagen-based Sea-Intelligence.

The figure was up 0.4 percentage points month on month and 4.0 percentage points year on year, based on issue 177 of the company’s Global Liner Performance report covering 34 trade lanes and more than 60 carriers.

The average delay for late vessel arrivals fell by 0.27 days month on month to 5.34 days, though it remained 0.31 days higher than in April 2025.

Maersk was the most reliable carrier among the top 13 in April at 76.1 per cent, followed by Hapag-Lloyd at 75.1 per cent.

Five of the 13 carriers improved month on month, while 11 recorded year-on-year gains. Gemini Cooperation posted the strongest alliance performance in March and April, with reliability of 85.0 per cent across all arrivals and 85.6 per cent across trade arrivals. MSC followed with 73.4 per cent and 72.3 per cent respectively. Premier Alliance recorded 54.2 per cent under both measures.

U-Freight continues to monitor developments in global container shipping lanes closely. We remain committed to supporting customers with reliable, flexible transport solutions across air, sea and multimodal services, helping navigate route changes and maintain resilience in international supply chains.

For expert advice or further information on our ocean freight services, please contact your local U-Freight office or visit the ocean freight section of this website.